Elastomers can be prepared by (co)polymerization of monomers consisting of the group of C2-C8-α-olefins, C4-C15-diolefins and other monomers in the bulk, solution, slurry or gas phase, the catalysts employed being metallocene compounds or the π complex compounds of the formula in which CpI and CpII...http://www.google.com/patents/US6172169?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6172169 - Method for producing elastomers

Elastomers can be prepared by (co)polymerization of monomers consisting of the group of C2-C8-α-olefins, C4-C15-diolefins and other monomers in the bulk, solution, slurry or gas phase, the catalysts employed being metallocene compounds or the π complex compounds of the formula

in which

CpI and CpII represent carbanions having a cyclopentadienyl-containing structure,

πI and πII represent charged or electrically neutral π systems,

D represents a donor atom and

A represents an acceptor atom,

where D and A are linked by a reversible coordinate bond such that the donor group assumes a positive (part) charge and the acceptor group assumes a negative (part) charge,

M represents a transition metal of sub-group III, IV, V or VI of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev), including the lanthanides and the actinides,

X denotes one anion equivalent and

n denotes the number zero, one, two, three or four, depending on the charge of M.

Images(28)

Claims(16)

What is claimed is:

1. A process for the preparation of a saturated or unsaturated elastomer by (co)polymerization of monomers from the group consisting of C2-C8-α-olefins, open-chain, monocyclic and/or polycyclic C4-C15-diolefins, mono- or dihalogenated diolefins, vinyl esters, (meth)acrylates and styrene in the bulk, solution, slurry or gas phase in the presence of organometallic catalysts which can be activated by cocatalysts, which comprises employing as the organometallic catalyst a metallocene compound of the formula

in which

CpI and CpII are two identical or different carbanions having a cyclopentadienyl-containing structure, in which one to all the H atoms can be replaced by identical or different radicals from the group consisting of linear or branched C1-C20-alkyl, which can be monosubstituted to completely substituted by halogen, mono- to trisubstituted by phenyl or mono- to trisubstituted by vinyl, C6-C12-aryl, halogenoaryl having 6 to 12 C atoms, organometallic substituents, including silyl, trimethylsilyl or ferrocenyl, or one or two can be replaced by D and A,

D denotes a donor atom, which can additionally carry substituents and has at least one free electron pair in its bond state,

A denotes an acceptor atom, which can additionally carry substituents and has an empty orbital capable of accenting a pair of electrons in its bond state,

wherein D and A are linked by a reversible coordinate bond such that the donor group assumes a positive charge and the acceptor group assumes a negative charge,

M represents a transition metal of sub-group III, IV, V or VI of the Periodic Table of the Elements, including the lanthanides and actinides,

X denotes one anion equivalent and

n denotes the number zero, one, two, three or four, depending on the charge of M, or

a π complex compound, or in metallocene compound of the formula

in which

πI and πII represent different charged or electrically neutral π systems which can be fused with one or two unsaturated or saturated five- or six-membered rings,

D denotes a donor atom, which is a substituent of πI or part of the π system of πI and has at least one free electron pair in its bond state,

A denotes an acceptor atom, which is a substituent of πII or part of the π system of πII and has an empty orbital capable of accepting a pair of electrons in its bond state,

wherein D and A are linked by a reversible coordinate bond such that the donor group assumes a positive charge and the acceptor group assumes a negative charge, and where at least one of D and A is part of the associated π system,

wherein D and A in their turn can carry substituents,

wherein each π system and each fused-on ring system can contain one or more D or A or D and A and

wherein πI and πII in the non-fused or in the fused form, one to all the H atoms of the π system independently of one another can be replaced by identical or different radicals from the group consisting of linear or branched C1-C20-alkyl, which can be monosubstituted to completely substituted by halogen, mono- to trisubstituted by phenyl or mono- to trisubstituted by vinyl, C6-C12-aryl, halogenoaryl having 6 to 12 C atoms, organometallic substituents including silyl, trimethylsilyl or ferrocenyl, or one or two can be replaced by D and A, so that the reversible coordinate D♯A bond is formed (i) between D and A, which are both parts of the π system or the fused-on ring system, or (ii) of which D or A is (are) part of the π system and in each case the other is (are) a substituent of the non-fused π system or the fused-on ring system or (iii) both D and A are such substituents, wherein the case of (iii) at least one additional D or A or both is (are) parts of the π system or of the fused-on ring system,

M and X have the above meanings and

n denotes the number zero, one, two, three or four, depending on the charges of M and those of π-I and π-II.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallocene compound or the η complex compound is employed as the catalyst in an amount of 101 to 1012 mol of monomers per mole of metallocene or it complex compound.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if solvents are present, those from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic halohydrocarbons and saturated halohydrocarbons are employed.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the metallocene compound, the carbanions CpI and CpII or the π system πI denote a cyclopentadienyl skeleton from the group consisting of cyclopentadiene, substituted cyclopentadiene, indene, substituted indene, fluorene and substituted fluorene, in which 1 to 4 substituents from the group consisting of C1-C20-alkyl, C1-C20-alkoxy, halogen, C6 -C12-aryl, halogenophenyl, D and A, wherein D and A are present per cyclopentadiene or fused-on benzene ring, it being possible for fused-on aromatic rings to be partly or completely hydrogenated.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the metallocene compound, elements selected from the group consisting of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, O, S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br and I are present as donor atoms D.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the metallocene compound, elements selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In and Tl are present as acceptor atoms A.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the metallocene compound or π complex compound, donor-acceptor bridges selected from the group consisting of

9. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallocene compound or π complex compound is employed as a catalyst system together with an aluminoxane, a borane or borate and, optionally, further cocatalysts and/or metal-alkyls.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein rearrangement products of said metallocene compound or π complex compound as with self-activation, with which, after opening of the D/A bond, the acceptor atom A bonds an X ligand to form a zwitterionic metallocene complex structure or π complex structure, where a positive charge is generated in the transition metal M and a negative charge is generated in the acceptor atom A, and where a further X ligand represents H or substituted or unsubstituted C, in the bond of which to the transition metal M the olefin insertion takes place for the polymerization, preferably 2 X ligands being linked to a chelate ligand, are employed.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said π complex compound D is part of the ring of the associated π system.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein a reaction product of the formulae (XICa-d)) of an ionizing agent with said metallocene compound or π complex according to formula (I) or (XIII)

The present invention relates to the use of π systems of metallocene compounds which a transition metal with two π systems, and in particular with aromatic π systems, such as anionic cyclopentadienyl ligands (carbanions), is complexed and the two systems are bonded reversibly to one another by at least one bridge comprising a donor and an acceptor as organometallic catalysts in a process for the preparation of saturated or unsaturated elastomers by (co)polymerization of monomers from the group consisting of C2-C8-α-olefins, open-chain, monocyclic and/or polycyclic C4-C15-diolefins, mono- or dihalogenated diolefins, vinyl esters, (meth)acrylates and styrene. The coordinate bond formed between the donor atom and the acceptor atom produces a positive (part) charge in the donor group and a negative (part) charge in the acceptor group:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Metallocenes and their use as catalysts in the polymerization of olefins have been known for a long time (EP-A 129 368 and the literature cited therein). It is furthermore known from EP-A '368 that metallocenes in combination with aluminum-alkyl/water as cocatalysts are active systems for the polymerization of ethylene (thus, for example, methylaluminoxane=MAO is formed from 1 mol of trimethylaluminum and 1 mol of water. Other stoichiometric ratios have also already been used successfully (WO 94/20506 )). Metallocenes in which the cyclopentadienyl skeletons are linked to one another covalently via a bridge are also already known. An example of the numerous patents and applications in this field which may be mentioned is EP-A 704 461, in which the linkage group mentioned therein is a (substituted) methylene group or ethylene group, a silylene group, a substituted silylene group, a substituted germylene group or a substituted phosphine group. The bridged metallocenes are also envisaged as polymerization catalysts for olefins in EP '461. In spite of the numerous patents and applications in this field, there continues to be a demand for improved catalysts which are distinguished by a high activity, so that the amount of catalyst remaining in the polymer can be set to a low level, and which are equally suitable for the polymerization and copolymerization of olefins to give thermoplastics and to give elastomeric products and also for the polymerization and copolymerization of diolefins, optionally with olefins.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that particularly advantageous catalysts can be prepared from bridged π complex compounds, and in particular from metallocene compounds, in which the bridging of the two π systems is established by one, two or three reversible donor-acceptor bonds, in which in each case a coordinate or so-called dative bond which is overlapped at least formally by an ionic bond forms between the donor atom and the acceptor atom, and in which one of the donor or acceptor atoms can be part of the particular associated π system. The reversibility of the donor-acceptor bond also allows, in addition to the bridged state identified by the arrow between D and A, the non-bridged state in which the two π systems can rotate against one another, for example by an angle of 360°, as a result of their inherent rotational energy, without the integrity of the metal complex being surrendered. When the rotation is complete, the donor-acceptor bond “snaps in” again. If several donors and/or acceptors are present, such “snapping in” can already take place after angles of less than 360° have been passed through. π systems according to the invention which are to be employed, for example metallocenes, can therefore be represented merely by a double arrow and the formula parts (Ia) and (Ib) or (XIIIa) and (XIIIb) to include both states.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention accordingly relates to a process for the preparation of saturated or unsatured elastomers by (co)polymerization of monomers from the group consisting of C2-C8-α-olefins, open-chain, monocyclic and/or polycyclic C4-C15-diolefins, mono- or dihalogenated diolefins, vinyl esters, (meth)acrylates and styrene in the bulk, solution, slurry or gas phase in the presence of organometallic catalysts which can be activated by cocatalysts, which comprises employing as the organometallic catalysts metallocene compounds of the formula

in which

CpI and CpII are two identical or different carbanions having a cyclopentadienyl-containing structure, in which one to all the H atoms can be replaced by identical or different radicals from the group consisting of linear or branched C1-C20-alkyl, which can be monosubstituted to completely substituted by halogen, mono- to trisubstituted by phenyl or mono- to trisubstituted by vinyl, C6-C12-aryl, halogenoaryl having 6 to 12 C atoms, organometallic substituents, such as silyl, trimethylsilyl or ferrocenyl, and 1 or 2 can be replaced by D and A,

D denotes a donor atom, which can additionally carry substituents and has at least one free electron pair in its particular bond state,

A denotes an acceptor atom, which can additionally carry substituents and has an electron pair gap in its particular bond state,

where D and A are linked by a reversible coordinate bond such that the donor group assumes a positive (part) charge and the acceptor group assumes a negative (part) charge,

M represents a transition metal of sub-group III, IV, V or VI of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev), including the lanthanides and actinides,

X denotes one anion equivalent and

n denotes the number zero, one, two, three or four, depending on the charge of M,

or π complex compounds, and in particular metallocene compounds of the formula

in which

πI and πII represent different charged or electrically neutral π systems which can be fused with one or two unsaturated or saturated five- or six-membered rings,

D denotes a donor atom, which is a substituent of πI or part of the πII system of πI and has at least one free electron pair in its particular bond state,

A denotes an acceptor atom, which is a substituent of πII or part of the π system of πII and has an electron pair gap in its particular bond state,

where D and A are linked by a reversible coordinate bond such that the donor group assumes a positive (part) charge and the acceptor group assumes a negative (part) charge, and where at least one of D and A is part of the particular associated π system,

where D and A in their turn can carry substituents,

where each π system and each fused-on ring system can contain one or more D or A or D and A and

wherein πI and πII in the non-fused or in the fused form, one to all the H atoms of the π system independently of one another can be replaced by identical or different radicals from the group consisting of linear or branched C1-C20-alkyl, which can be monosubstituted to completely substituted by halogen, mono- to trisubstituted by phenyl or mono- to trisubstituted by vinyl, C6-C12-aryl, halogenoaryl having 6 to 12 C atoms, organometallic substituents, such as silyl, trimethylsilyl or ferrocenyl, or one or two can be replaced by D and A, so that the reversible coordinate D♯A bond is formed (i) between D and A, which are both parts of the particular π system or the fused-on ring system, or (ii) of which D or A is (are) part of the π system or of the fused-on ring system and in each case the other is (are) a substituent of the non-fused π system or the fused-on ring system,

M and X have the above meaning and

n denotes the number zero, one, two, three or four, depending on the charges of M and those of n-I and c-II.

π systems according to the invention are substituted and unsubstituted ethylene, allyl, pentadienyl, benzyl, butadiene, benzene, the cyclopentadienyl anions and the species which result by replacement of at least one C atom by a heteroatom. Among the species mentioned, the cyclic species are preferred. The nature of the coordination of such ligands (π systems) to the metal can be of the a type or of the π type.

Such metallocene compounds of the formula (I) which are to be employed according to the invention can be prepared by reacting with one another either in each case a compound of the formulae (II) and (III)

or in each case a compound of the formulae (IV) and (V)

or in each case a compound of the formulae (VI) and (VII)

with elimination of M′X, in the presence of an aprotic solvent, or in each case a compound of the formulae (VIII) and (III)

or in each case a compound of the formulae (IV) and (IX)

or in each case a compound of the formulae (X) and (VII)

with elimination of E(R1R2R3)X and F(R4R5R6)X, in the absence or in the presence of an aprotic solvent, in which

CpI, CpII, D, A, M, X and n have the above meaning,

CpIII and CpIV represent two identical or different non-charged molecular parts having a cyclopentadiene-containing structure, but are otherwise the same as CpI and CpII,

M′ denotes one cation equivalent of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or Tl,

E and F independently of one another denote one of the elements Si, Ge or Sn and

and where furthermore, in the formulae (VIII), (IX) and (X), hydrogen can replace E(R1R2R3) and F(R4R5R6), and in this case X can also represent an amide anion of the type R2N− or a carbanion of the type R3C− or an alcoholate anion of the type RO−, and where furthermore it is possible to react compounds of the formulae (II) or (VIII) directly with a transition metal compound of the formula (VII) in the presence of compounds of the formulae (V) or (IX).

In the reaction of (VIII) with (III) or (IV) with (IX) or (X) with (VII), in the case of the variant mentioned last, the structure (I) forms with elimination of amine R2NH or R2NE(R1R2R3) or R2NF(R4R5R6) or a hydrocarbon compound of the formula R3CH or R3CE(R1R2R3) or R3CF(R4R5R6) or an ether ROE(R1R2R3) or ROF(R4R5R6), in which the organic radicals R are identical or different and independently of one another are C1-C20-alkyl, C6-C12-aryl, substituted or unsubstituted allyl, benzyl or hydrogen. Examples of the amine or hydrocarbon, ether, silane, stannane or germane eliminated are, for example, dimethylamine, diethylamine, di-(n-propyl)amine, di-(isopropyl)amine, di-(tert-butyl)amine, tert-butylamine, cyclohexylamine, aniline, methylphenylamine, di-(allyl)amine or methane, toluene, trimethylsilylamine, trimethylsilyl ether, tetramethylsilane and the like.

It is also possible to react compounds of the formulae (II) or (VIII) directly with a transition metal compound of the formula (VII) in the presence of compounds of the formulae (V) or (IX).

π complex compounds of the formulae (XIII) in which the π systems are cyclic and aromatic (metallocenes) can be prepared analogously, the following compounds being employed accordingly:

Open-chain n complex compounds are prepared by processes known to the expert with incorporation of donor and acceptor groups.

According to the invention, the reaction is carried out in the bulk, solution, slurry or gas phase at −60 to 250° C., preferably 0 to +200° C., under 1 to 65 bar, in the presence or absence of saturated or aromatic hydrocarbons or of saturated or aromatic halogeno- hydrocarbons and in the presence or absence of hydrogen, the metallocene compounds or the π complex compounds being employed as catalysts in an amount of 101 to 1012 mol of all the monomers per mole of metallocene or π complex compounds, and it being furthermore possible to carry out the reaction in the presence of Lewis acids, Brönstedt acids or Pearson acids, or additionally in the presence of Lewis bases.

Such Lewis acids are, for example, boranes or alanes, such as aluminum-alkyls, aluminum halides, aluminum alcoholates, organoboron compounds, boron halides, boric acid esters or compounds of boron or aluminum which contain both halide and alkyl or aryl or alcoholate substituents, and mixtures thereof, or the triphenylmethyl cation. Aluminoxane or mixtures of aluminum-containing Lewis acids with water are particularly preferred. According to current knowledge, all the acids act as ionizing agents which form a metallocenium cation, the charge of which is compensated by a bulky, poorly coordinating anion.

According to the invention, the reaction products of such ionizing agents with metallocene compounds of the formula (I) can furthermore be employed. They can be described by the formulae (XIa) to (XId)

or sulfonates, such as tosylate or triflate, tetrafluoroborates, hexafluorophosphates or -antimonates, perchlorates, and voluminous cluster molecular anions of the carborane type, for example C2B9H12θ or CB11H12θ. If such anions are present, metallocene compounds can also act as highly active polymerization catalysts in the absence of aluminoxane. This is the case, above all, if one X ligand represents an alkyl group, allyl or benzyl. However, it may also be advantageous to employ such metallocene complexes with voluminous anions in combination with aluminium-alkyls, such as (CH3)3Al, (C2H5)3Al, (n-/i-propyl)3Al, (n-/t-butyl)3Al, (i-butyl)3Al, the isomeric pentyl-, hexyl- or octylaluminum-alkyls or lithium-alkyls, such as methyl-Li, benzyl-Li or butyl-Li, or the corresponding organo-Mg compounds, such as Grignard compounds, or organo-Zn compounds. Such metal-alkyls on the one hand transfer alkyl groups to the central metal, and on the other hand scavenge water or catalyst poisons from the reaction medium or monomer during polymerization reactions. Metal-alkyls of the type described can also advantageously be employed in combination with aluminoxane cocatalysts, for example in order to reduce the amount of aluminoxane required. Examples of boron compounds with which, when used, such anions are introduced are:

The metallocene compounds to be employed according to the invention and the π complex compounds can be employed in isolated form as the pure substances for the (co)polymerization. However, it is also possible to produce them and use them “in situ” in the (co)polymerization reactor in a manner known to the expert.

The first and the second carbanion CpI and CpII having a cyclopentadienyl skeleton can be identical or different. The cyclopentadienyl skeleton can be, for example, one from the group consisting of cyclopentadiene, substituted cyclopentadiene, indene, substituted indene, fluorene and substituted fluorene. I to 4 substituents may be present per cyclopentadiene or fused-on benzene ring. These substituents can be C1-C20-alkyl, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl or iso-butyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl, hexadecyl, octadecyl or eicosyl, C1-C20-alkoxy, such as methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, isopropoxy, butoxy or iso-butoxy, hexoxy, octyloxy, decyloxy, dodecyloxy, hexadecyloxy, octadecyloxy, eicosyloxy, halogen, such as fluorine, chlorine or bromine, C6-C12-aryl, such as phenyl, C1-C4-alkylphenyl, such as tolyl, ethylphenyl, (i-)propylphenyl, (i-, tert-)-butylphenyl or xylyl, halogenophenyl, such as fluoro-, chloro- or bromophenyl, naphthyl or biphenylyl, triorganyl-silyl, such as trimethylsilyl (TMS), ferrocenyl and D or A, as defined above. Fused-on aromatic rings can furthermore be partly or completely hydrogenated, so that only the double bond of which both the fused-on ring and the cyclopentadiene ring have a portion remains. Benzene rings, such as in indene or fluorene, can furthermore contain one or two further fused-on benzene rings. The cyclopentadiene or cyclopentadienyl ring and a fused-on benzene ring can also furthermore together contain a further fused-on benzene ring.

In the form of their anions, such cyclopentadiene skeletons are excellent ligands for transition metals, each cyclopentadienyl carbanion of the optionally substituted form mentioned compensating a positive charge of the central metal in the complex. Individual examples of such carbanions are cyclopentadienyl, methyl-cyclopentadienyl, 1,2-dimethyl-cyclopentadienyl, 1,3-dimethyl-cyclopentadienyl, indenyl, phenylindenyl, 1,2-diethyl-cyclopentadienyl, tetramethyl-cyclopentadienyl, ethyl-cyclopentadienyl, n-butyl-cyclopentadienyl, n-octyl-cyclopentadienyl, 13-phenylpropyl-cyclopentadienyl, tetrahydroindenyl, propyl-cyclopentadienyl, t-butyl-cyclopentadienyl, benzyl-cyclopentadienyl, diphenylmethyl-cyclopentadienyl, trimethylgermyl-cyclopentadienyl, trimethylstannyl-cyclopentadienyl, trimethyl-stannyl-cyclopentadienyl, trifluoromethyl-cyclopentadienyl, trimethylsilyl-cyclo-pentadienyl, pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, fluorenyl, tetrahydro- and octahydro-fluorenyl, fluorenyls and indenyls which are benzo-fused on the six-membered ring, N,N-dimethylamino-cyclopentadienyl, dimethylphosphino-cyclopentadienyl, methoxy-cyclopentadienyl, dimethylboranyl-cyclopentadienyl and (N,N-dimethyl-aminomethyl)-cyclopentadienyl.

In addition to the first donor-acceptor bond between D and A which is obligatorily present, further donor-acceptor bonds can be formed if additional D and/or A are present as substituents of the particular cyclopentadiene systems or substituents or parts of the π systems. All donor-acceptor bonds are characterized by their reversibility described above. In the case of several D and A, these can occupy various positions of those mentioned. The invention accordingly relates both to the bridged molecular states (Ia) and (XIIIa) and to the non-bridged states (Ib) and (XIIIb). The number of D groups can be identical to or different from the number of A groups. Preferably, CpI and CpII or πI and πII are linked via only one donor-acceptor bridge.

In addition to the D/A bridges according to the invention, covalent bridges can also be present. In these cases, the D/A bridges intensify the stereorigidity and the thermal stability of the catalyst. On alternation between the closed and open D/A bond, sequence polymers are accessible in the case of copolymers of different chemical compositions.

The π complex compounds are likewise characterized by the presence of at least one coordinate bond between donor atom(s) D and acceptor atom(s) A. Both D and A here can be substituents of their particular π systems πI and πII or part of the π system, but always at least one of D and A is part of the π system. π system here is understood as meaning the entire π system, which is optionally fused once or twice. The following embodiments result from this:

D is part of the π system, A is a substituent of the π system;

D is a substituent of the π system, A is part of the π system;

D and A are parts of their particular π system.

The following heterocyclic ring systems in which D or A is part of the ring system may be mentioned as examples:

In the case where one of D and A is a substituent of its associated ring system, the ring system is 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-membered with or without an electric charge, and can be further substituted and/or fused in the manner described. 5- and 6-membered ring systems are preferred. The negatively charged cyclo-pentadienyl system is particularly preferred.

The first and the second π system πI and πII respectively, if it is formed as a ring system, can correspond to CpI and CpII respectively in the case where one of D and A is a substituent of the ring system.

Possible donor groups are, above all, those in which the donor atom D is an element of main group 5, 6 or 7, preferably 5 or 6, of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev) and has at least one free electron pair, and where the donor atom in the case of elements of main group 5 is in a bond state with substituents, and in the case of elements of main group 6 can be in such a state; donor atoms of main group 7 carry no substituents. This is illustrated by the example of phosphorus P, oxygen O and chlorine Cl as donor atoms as follows, where “Subst.” represents those substituents mentioned and “—Cp” represents the bond to the cyclopentadienyl-containing carbanion, a line with an arrow has the meaning of a coordinate bond given in formula (I) and other lines denote electron pairs present:

Possible acceptor groups are, above all, those in which the acceptor atom A is an element from main group 3 of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev), such as boron, aluminum, gallium, indium and thallium, is in a bond state with substituents and has an electron gap.

D and A are linked by a coordinate bond, where D assumes a positive (part) charge and A assumes a negative (part) charge.

A distinction is accordingly being made between the donor atom D and the donor group and between the acceptor atom A and the acceptor group. The coordinate bond D♯A is established between the donor atom D and the acceptor atom A. The donor group denotes the unit of the donor atom D, the substituent optionally present and the electron pairs present; the acceptor group correspondingly denotes the unit of the acceptor atom A, the substituents and the electron gap present.

D and A are preferably bonded to the cyclopentadienyl-containing carbanion without a spacer.

D and A independently of one another can be on the cyclopentadiene (or -dienyl) ring or a fused-on benzene ring or on another substituent of CpI and CpII respectively or πI and πII respectively. In the case of several D and A, these can occupy various positions of those mentioned.

Substituents on the donor atoms N, P, As, Sb, Bi, 0, S, Se and Te and on the acceptor atoms B, Al, Ga, In and TI are, for example: C1-C12(cyclo)alkyl, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, i-propyl, cyclopropyl, butyl, i-butyl, tert-butyl, cyclobutyl, pentyl, neopentyl, cyclopentyl, hexyl, cyclohexyl and the isomeric heptyls, octyls, nonyls, decyls, undecyls and dodecyls; the C1-C12-alkoxy groups which correspond to these; vinyl, butenyl and allyl; C6-C12-aryl, such as phenyl, naphthyl or biphenylyl and benzyl, which can be substituted by halogen, 1 or 2 C1-C4-alkyl groups, C1-C4-alkoxy groups, nitro or halogenoalkyl groups, C1-C6-alkyl-carboxyl, C1-C6-alkyl-carbonyl or cyano (for example perfluorophenyl, m,m′-bis(trifluoro-methyl)-phenyl and analogous substituents familiar to the expert); analogous aryloxy groups; indenyl; halogen, such as F, Cl, Br and I, 1-thienyl, disubstituted amino, such as (C1-C12-alkyl)2 amino, and diphenylamino, (C1-C12-alkyl)-(phenyl)amino, (C1-C12-alkylphenyl)amino, tris-(C1-C12-alkyl)-silyl, NaSO3-aryl, such as NaSO3-phenyl and NaSO3-tolyl, and C6H5—C≡C—; aliphatic and aromatic C1-C20-silyl, the alkyl substituents of which can additionally be octyl, decyl, dodecyl, stearyl or eicosyl, in addition to those mentioned above, and the aryl substituents of which can be phenyl, tolyl, xylyl, naphthyl or biphenylyl; and those substituted silyl groups which are bonded to the donor atom or the acceptor atom via —CH2—, for example (CH3)3SiCH2—, C6-C12-aryloxy with the abovementioned aryl groups, C1-C8-perfluoroalkyl and perfluorophenyl. Preferred substituents are: C1-C6-alkyl, C5-C6-cycloalkyl, phenyl, tolyl, C1-C6-alkoxy, C6-C12-aryloxy, vinyl, allyl, benzyl, perfluorophenyl, F, Cl, Br, di-(C1-C6-alkyl)-amino and diphenyl-amino.

Donor groups are those in which the free electron pair is located on the N, P, As, Sb, Bi, O, S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br and I; of these, N, P, O and S are preferred. Examples of donor groups which may be mentioned are: (CH3)2N—, (C2H5)2N—, (C3H7)2N—, (C4H9)2N—, (C6H5)2N—, (CH3)2P—, (C2H5)2P—, (C3H7)2P—, (i—C3H7)2P—, (C4H9)2P—, (t—C4H9)P—, (cyclohexyl)2P—, (C6H5)2P—, CH3O—, CH3S—, C6H5S—, —C(C6H5)═O, —C(CH3)═O, —OSi(CH3)3 and —OSi(CH3)2-t-butyl, in which N and P each carry a free electron pair and O and S each carry two free electron pairs, and where in the last two examples mentioned the double-bonded oxygen is bonded via a spacer group, and systems such as the pyrrolidone ring, where the ring members other than N also act as spacers.

Those donor and acceptor groups which contain chiral centers or in which 2 substituents form a ring with the D or A atoms are furthermore possible. Examples of these are, for instance,

Preferred donor-acceptor bridges between CpI and CpII are, for example, the following:

One or both π systems πI and/or πII can be present as a heterocyclic ring in the form of the above ring systems (a) to (r). D here is preferably an element of main group 5 or 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev); A here is preferably boron. Specific examples of such hetero-π systems, in particular heterocyclic compounds, are:

Preferred donor-acceptor bridges between πI and πII are, for example, the following: N♯B, N♯Al, P♯B, P♯Al, O♯B, O♯Al, Cl♯B, Cl♯Al, C═O♯B and C═O♯Al, where both atoms of these donor-acceptor bridges can be parts of a hetero-π system or one atom (donor or acceptor) is part of a π system and the other is a substituent of the second π system, or where both atoms are substituents of their particular ring and one of the rings additionally contains a heteroatom.

According to the above description, the two ligand systems πI and πII can be linked by one, two or three donor-acceptor bridges. This is possible since, according to the invention, formula (Ia) contains the D♯A bridge described, but the ligand systems πI and πII can carry further D and A as substituents or hetero-π centers; the number of resulting additional D♯A bridges is zero, one or two. The number of D and A substituents on πI and πII respectively can be identical or different. The two ligand systems πI and πII can additionally be bridged covalently. (Examples of covalent bridges are described above as spacer groups.) However, compounds without a covalent bridge, in which πI and πII accordingly are linked only via a donor-acceptor bridge, are preferred.

M represents a transition metal from sub-group 3, 4, 5 or 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev), including the lanthanides and actinides; examples which may be mentioned are: Sc, Y, La, Sm, Nd, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf. Th, V, Nb, Ta and Cr. Ti, Zr and Hf are preferred.

In the formation of the metallocene structure or n complex structure, in each case a positive charge of the transition metal B is compensated by in each case a cyclopentadienyl-containing carbanion. Positive charges which still remain on the central atom M are satisfied by further, usually monovalent anions X, two identical or different anions of which can also be linked to one another (dianions x x), for example monovalently or divalently negative radicals from identical or different, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons, amines, phosphines, thioalcohols, alcohols or phenols. Simple anions such as CR3−, NR2−, PR2−, OR−, SR− and the like can be bonded by saturated or unsaturated hydro-carbon or silane bridges, dianions being formed and it being possible for the number of bridge atoms to be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, 0 to 4 bridge atoms being preferred and 1 or 2 bridge atoms particularly preferred.

where the bridge has the meaning given. Weakly or non-coordinating anions of the abovementioned type are moreover particularly preferred for charge compensation.

The activation by such voluminous anions is effected, for example, by reaction of the D/A-π complex compounds, in particular the D/A-metallocenes, with tris-(pentafluorophenyl)-borane, triphenylborane, triphenylaluminum, trityl tetrakis-(pentafluorophenyl)-borate or N,N-dialkylphenylammonium tetrakis-(pentafluoro-phenyl)-borate or the corresponding phosphonium or sulfonium salts of borates, or alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts, thallium salts or silver salts of borates, carboranes, tosylates, triflates, perfluorocarboxylates, such as trifluoroacetate, or the corresponding acids. D/A-metallocenes in which the anion equivalent X represents alkyl, allyl, aryl or benzyl groups are preferably employed here. Such derivatives can also be prepared “in situ” by reacting D/A metallocenes with other anion equivalents, such as X═F, Cl, Br, OR and the like, beforehand with aluminum-alkyls, organolithium compounds or Grignard compounds or zinc- or lead-alkyls. The reaction products obtainable therefrom can be activated with abovementioned boranes or borates without prior isolation.

The index n assumes the value zero, one, two, three or four, preferably zero, one or two, depending on the charge of M. The abovementioned sub-group metals can in fact assume valencies/charges of two to six, preferably two to four, depending inter alia on which of the sub-groups they belong to, in each case two of these valencies/charges being compensated by the carbanions of the metallocene compound. In the case of La3+, the index n accordingly assumes the value one, and in the case of Zr4+ it assumes the value two; in the case of Sm2+, n is zero.

To prepare the metallocene compounds of the formula (I), either in each case a compound of the above formulae (II) and (III) or in each case a compound of the above formulae (IV) and (V) or in each case a compound of the above formulae (VI) and (VII) or in each case a compound of the above formulae (VIII) and (III) or in each case a compound of the above formulae (IV) and (IX) or in each case a compound of the above formulae (X) and (VII) can be reacted with one another, with elimination or splitting off of alkali metal-X, alkaline earth metal-X2, silyl-X, germyl-X, stannyl-X or HX compounds, in an aprotic solvent at temperatures from −78° C. to +120° C., preferably from −40° C. to +70° C., and in a molar ratio of (II):(III) or (IV):(V) or (VI):(VII) or (VIII):(III) or (IV):(IX) or (X):(VII) of 1:0.5-2, preferably 1:0.8-1.2, particularly preferably 1:1. In the cases of reaction of (VIII) with (III) or (IV) with (IX) or (X) with (VII), it is possible to dispense with an aprotic solvent if (VIII), (IX) or (X) is liquid under the reaction conditions. Examples of such compounds eliminated or split off are: TlCl, LiCl, LiBr, LiF, Lil, NaCl, NaBr, KCl, KF, MgCl2, MgBr2, CaCl2, CaF2, trimethylchlorosilane, triethylchlorosilane, tri-(n-butyl)-chlorosilane, triphenylchlorosilane, trimethyl-chlorogermane, trimethylchlorostannane, dimethylamine, diethylamine, dibutyl-amine and other compounds which can be ascertained by the expert from the abovementioned substitution pattern.

Compounds of the formula (II) and (IV) are thus carbanions having a cyclopentadienyl skeleton or a heterocyclic skeleton which contain 1 to 3 donor groups, covalently bonded or incorporated as heterocyclic ring members, and are used for the D/A bridge formation, and contain a cation as a counter-ion to the negative charge of the cyclopentadienyl skeleton. Compounds of the formula (VIII) are non-charged cyclic skeletons with likewise 1 to 3 donor groups used for D/A bridge formation, but with leaving groups E(R1R2R3) which can easily be split off, such as silyl, germyl or stannyl groups or hydrogen, instead of the ionic groups.

The second component for formation of the metallocene compounds to be employed according to the invention, that is to say the compound of the formula (III) or (V), is likewise a carbanion having a cyclopentadienyl skeleton which is identical to the cyclopentadienyl skeleton of the compound (II) or (IV) or different from this, but carries 1 to 3 acceptor groups instead of the donor groups. In a corresponding manner, compounds of the formula (IX) are uncharged cyclo-pentadiene skeletons having 1 to 3 acceptor groups and likewise leaving groups F(R4R5R6) which can easily be split off.

In a completely analogous manner, compounds of the formulae (VI) or (X) are starting substances with a preformed D♯A bond which are carbanion-countercation compounds or uncharged cyclopentadiene structures with a possible 1 to 3 D♯A bonds in total and give the metallocene compounds (I) by reaction with compounds of the formula (VII).

The two starting substances of the preparation process, that is to say (II) and (III) or (IV) and (V) or (VI) and (VII) or (VIII) and (III) or (IV) and (IX) or (X) and (VII) react spontaneously when brought together, with simultaneous formation of the donor-acceptor group D♯A or complexing of the metal cation M with elimination of M′X or E(R1R2R3)X or F(R4R5R6)X or HX. In the description of the donor-acceptor group, the substituents on D and A have been omitted for clarity.

M′ is one cation equivalent of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, such as Li, Na, K, ½Mg, ½Ca, ½Sr, ½Ba or thallium.

The compounds of the formula (XIIIa+b) are prepared analogously in the abovementioned manner.

Solvents for the preparation process are aprotic, polar or non-polar solvents, such as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons or aliphatic and aromatic halogeno-hydrocarbons. Other aprotic solvents such as are known to the expert are also possible in principle, but for reasons of easier workup those with boiling points which are too high are less preferred. Typical examples are: n-hexane, cyclo-hexane, pentane, heptane, petroleum ether, toluene, benzene, chlorobenzene, methylene chloride, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran and ethylene glycol dimethyl ether.

The starting substances of the formulae (II), (III), (IV) and (V) can be prepared by processes known from the literature or analogously to these. Thus, for example, trimethylsilyl-cyclopentadiene, which is available on the market, can be reacted first with butyl-lithium and then with trimethylsilyl chloride to give bis(trimethylsilyl)-cyclopentadiene analogously to J. of Organometallic Chem. (1971), 29, 227. This product can in turn be reacted with boron trichloride to give trimethylsilyl-cyclopentadienyl-dichloroborane (analogously to J. of Organometallic Chem. (1979), 169, 327), which finally can be reacted with titanium tetrachloride analogously to J. of Organometallic Chem. (1979), 169, 373 to give dichloroboryl-cyclopentadienyl-titanium trichloride. This compound mentioned last is already a prototype of the compounds of the formula (III); the compound mentioned last can furthermore be reacted selectively with trimethylaluminum, the two chlorine atoms bonded to the boron atom being replaced by methyl groups, a further compound of the formula (III) being demonstrated. Cyclopentadienyl-thallium, which is available on the market, can be reacted with chloro-diphenylphosphine and further with butyl-lithium analogously to the process description in J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1983) 105, 3882 and Organometallics (1982) 1, 1591, a prototype of the compounds of the formula (II) being obtained. The formation of dimethylstannyl-diphenylphosphine-indene by reaction of indene first with butyl-lithium, as already mentioned above, and then with chloro-diphenylphosphine may be mentioned as a further example; further reaction, first again with butyl-lithium and then with chloro-tributyltin, gives the compound mentioned, which, after further reaction with zirconium tetrachloride, gives diphenylphosphino-indenyl-zirconium trichloride as a representative of compounds of the formula (IV). Such syntheses and preparation procedures are familiar to the expert operating in the field of organometallic and organoelemental chemistry and are published in numerous literature references, of which only a few have been given by way of example above.

The Examples described below show how such heterocyclic precursors and catalysts according to the invention are accessible. Thus, pyrrolyl-lithium (formula II) can be prepared from pyrrole by reaction with butyl-lithium, as described, for example, in J. Amer. Chem. Soc. (1982), 104, 2031. Trimethyl-stannyl-phosphol (formula VIII) is obtained by reaction of 1-phenylphosphol with lithium, followed by aluminum trichloride, phospholyl-lithium (formula II) being formed, which in turn further reacts with trimethylchlorostannane to give trimethylstannyl-phosphol. Cf.: J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Comm. (1988), 770. This compound can be reacted with titanium tetrachloride to give phospholyl-titanium trichloride (formula IV).

101 to 102 mol of comonomers are reacted per mole of π complex compounds or metallocene compounds. The n complex compounds or metallocene compounds can be employed together with cocatalysts. The ratio of the amounts between metallocene compound or π complex compound and cocatalyst is 1 to 100,000 mol of cocatalyst per mole of metallocene or π complex compound. Cocatalysts are, for example, aluminoxane compounds. These are understood as meaning those of the formula

in which

R represents C1-C20-alkyl, C6-C12-aryl or benzyl and

n denotes a number from 2 to 50, preferably 10 to 35.

It is also possible to employ a mixture of various aluminoxanes or a mixture of precursors thereof (aluminum-alkyls) in combination with water (in gaseous, liquid, solid or bonded form, for example as water of crystallization). The water can also be fed in as (residual) moisture of the polymerization medium, of the monomer or of a support, such as silica gel.

The bonds projecting from the square brackets of formula (XI) contain R groups or AlR2 groups as end groups of the oligomeric aluminoxane. Such aluminoxanes are as a rule present as a mixture of several of them of different chain lengths. Fine analysis has also shown aluminoxanes with a cyclic or cage-like structure. Aluminoxanes are compounds which are available on the market. In the specific case of R═CH3, methylaluminoxanes (MAO) are referred to.

Further cocatalysts are aluminum-alkyls, lithium-alkyls or organo-Mg compounds, such as Grignard compounds, or partly hydrolyzed organoboron compounds. Preferred cocatalysts are aluminoxanes.

The activation with the cocatalyst or the production of the voluminous non- or weakly coordinating anion can be carried out in an autoclave or in a separate reaction vessel (preforming). The activation can be carried out in the presence or absence of the monomer(s) to be polymerized. The activation can be carried out in an aliphatic or aromatic or halogenated solvent or suspension medium.

The π complex compounds or the metallocene compounds and the aluminoxanes can be employed both as such in homogeneous form and individually or together in heterogeneous form on supports. The support material here can be inorganic or organic in nature, such as silica gel, Al2O3, MgCl2, NaCl, cellulose derivatives, starch and polymers. It is possible here both to apply first the π complex compound or the metallocene compound and to apply first the aluminoxane to the support, and then to add the other particular component. However, it is equally possible also to activate the n complex compound or metallocene compound in homogeneous or heterogeneous form with the aluminoxane and then to apply the activated metallocene compound to the support.

Support materials are preferably treated by heat and/or chemicals in order to adjust the water content or the OH group concentration to a defined value or to keep it as low as possible. A chemical pretreatment can comprise, for example, reaction of the support with aluminum-alkyl. Inorganic supports are usually heated at 100° C. to 1000° C. for 1 to 100 hours before use. The surface area of such inorganic supports, in particular of silica (SiO2), is between 10 and 1000 m2/g, preferably between 100 and 800 m2/g. The particle diameter is between 0.1 and 500 micrometers (μ), preferably between 10 and 200 μ.

α-Olefins having up to 20 C atoms are furthermore possible in principle. In cases where α-olefins having 2 to 4 C atoms also participate, in addition to higher α-olefins, dienes or other comonomers, the C2-C4-α-olefins are present in an amount of 25 to 90% by weight, preferably 30 to 80% by weight, based on the total weight. In contrast, for example, 1-octene is present in an amount of 5 to 35% by weight, preferably 7.5 to 25% by weight.

In addition to the dienes mentioned, the following may further be mentioned as open-chain, mono- and polycyclic dienes: 5-methyl-1,4-hexadiene and 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene; cyclopentadiene, 1,4-hexadiene, 1,5-cyclooctadiene; tetra-hydroindene, methyl-tetrahydroindene, dicyclopentadiene, bicyclo(2,2,1)-hepta-2,5-diene and norbornene with substituents, such as alkenyl, alkylidene, cycloalkenyl and cycloalkylidene, thus for example 5-methylene-2-norbornene (MNB), 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, 5-isopropylidene-2-norbornene and 5-vinyl-2-norbornene; and allylcyclohexene and vinyl-cyclohexene.

Further preferred monomers, in addition to those mentioned above, are: dicyclopentadiene, 1,4-hexadiene, 5-methyl-2-norbornene, 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene and 5-vinyl-2-norbornene. Mixtures of several of these can of course be employed.

The process according to the invention is carried out in the bulk, solution, slurry or gas phase, depending on whether a soluble or an insoluble catalyst of the type described above is employed. The solution phase or the slurry phase can be formed from the comonomer alone, i.e. without the use of an additional solvent. In the case where a solvent is co-used, possible solvents for this are inert solvents, for example aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons, benzine or diesel oil fractions (if appropriate after a hydrogenation), toluene, chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene or chloronaphthalene. In the case of solvents of low boiling point, it can be ensured that the liquid phase is maintained by applying an adequate reaction pressure; such relationships are known to the expert. According to the invention, the reaction is carried out in one or more reactors or reaction zones, for example in reactor cascades, it being possible to carry out the reaction under different polymerization conditions.

The abovementioned temperatures and pressures are used. Temperatures in the lower range, for example 0 to 150° C., are preferred for the bulk, solution and slurry procedure, and temperatures of about 20 to 100° C. are preferred for the gas phase. For economic reasons, the pressures often do not exceed the value of 30 bar, preferably 20 bar. According to the invention, the reaction is carried out in one or more reactors or reaction zones, for example in a reactor cascade; in the case of several reactors, different polymerization conditions can be established.

Elastomers which can be prepared according to the invention are, for example, those of the type of ethylene/propylene copolymer (EPM), ethylene/butene copolymer (EBM), ethylene/pentene copolymer, ethylene/hexene copolymer (EHM), ethylene/heptene copolymer, ethylene/octene copolymer (EOM), ethylene/propylene/butene copolymer, atactic polypropylene (aPP), ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, which comprise no crosslinker monomers, and ethylene/propylene/diene copolymer (EPDM), ethylene/butene/diene copolymer (EBDM), ethylene/hexene (or octene)/diene copolymer (EHDM or EODM) and aPP with crosslinker monomers, such as with ethylidene-norbornene; the content of crosslinker monomers, for example of the diene, is up to 20% by weight of all the comonomers, for example 0.1 to 20% by weight, preferably 1 to 12% by weight, particularly preferably 2 to 8% by weight. Preferred elastomers are those of the type EPM, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, aPP and EPDM.

Such elastomers are distinguished by good elasticity, even at low temperatures, by a largely amorphous structure (no or low crystallinity, that is to say a crystallinity of less than 25%, preferably less than 15%, particularly preferably less than 10%, measured by methods known to the expert) with a low glass transition temperature Tg. Tg is preferably 0° C. or below, particularly preferably below 0° C. They have molecular weights Mw of greater than 10 kg/mol, preferably greater than 100 kg/mol. According to the invention, it is possible in particular to achieve the high molecular weights mentioned and to achieve a uniform distribution of the comonomers. The uniform distribution renders possible a high-quality cross-linking during vulcanization in the case of dienes or other cross-linkable comonomers. It is furthermore possible to obtain long-chain branched products.

The donor-acceptor bridge of the n complex compounds to be employed in accordance with the invention, especially the metallocene compounds, enables defined opening of the two cyclopentadienyl skeletons in the manner of a beak, ensuring not only a high activity but also controlled selectivity, controlled molecular weight distribution and a uniform incorporation of (co)monomers. As a consequence of a defined beaklike opening there is also room for voluminous (co)monomers. High uniformity in the molecular weight distribution is also a result of the uniform and defined location of the polymerization, which takes place by insertion (single site catalyst).

The molecular weight distribution can be modified (broadened) in a controlled manner by employing several D/A catalysts simultaneously, in order to establish a certain profile of properties of the material. Accordingly, it is also possible to employ one or more D/A catalysts in combination with other metallocenes which have no D/A bridge.

The D/A structure can bring about extra stabilization of the catalysts up to high temperatures, so that the catalysts can also be employed in the high temperature range from 80 to 250° C., preferably 80 to 180° C. The possible thermal dissociation of the donor-acceptor bond is reversible and, as a result of this self-organization process and self-repair mechanism, leads to particularly high-quality catalyst properties.

It has furthermore been found that metallocene compounds to be employed according to the invention show different copolymerization properties, depending on the temperature. This phenomenon has not yet been investigated completely, but could coincide with the observation that coordinate bonds which are overlapped by an ionic bond, such as the donor-acceptor bonds in the metallocene compounds according to the invention, show an increasing reversibility at a higher temperature. It has furthermore been found, for example in the case of ethylene-propylene copolymerization, that if the same amount of the two comonomers is available, a highly propylene-containing copolymer is formed at a low copolymerization temperature, while as the polymerization temperature increases, the propylene content decreases, until finally predominantly ethylene-containing polymers are formed at a high temperature. The reversible dissociation and association of the D/A structure and the rotation of the Cp skeletons with respect to one another which become possible as a result can be shown schematically as follows:

Another valuable property of the D/A-π complex compounds, for example D/A-metallocene compounds, according to the invention is the possibility of self-activation and therefore of dispensing with expensive catalysts, in particular in the case of dianionic

derivatives.

In this case, the acceptor atom A bonds in the open form of the D/A-π complex compounds, for example D/A-metallocene compounds of an X ligand, for example one side of a dianion, to form a zwitterionic metallocene structure, and thus generates a positive charge in the transition metal, while the acceptor atom A assumes a negative charge. Such a self-activation can be intramolecular or intermolecular. This may be illustrated by the example of the preferred linkage of two X ligands to a chelate ligand, that is to say of the butadienediyl derivative:

The bonding site between the transition metal M and H or substituted or unsubstituted C, in the formula example substituted C of the butadienediyl dianion shown, is then the site for the olefin insertion for the polymerization.

EXAMPLES

All the reactions were carried out under strictly anaerobic conditions using Schlenk techniques or the high vacuum technique. The solvents used were dry and saturated with argon. Chemical shifts δ are stated in ppm, relative to the particular standard: 1H(tetramethylsilane), 13C(tetramethylsilane), 31P(85% strength H3PO4), 11B(boron trifluoride-etherate-18.1 ppm). Negative signs denote a shift to a higher field.

Example 1(Bis-(trimethylsilyl)-cyclopentadiene, compound 1)

14.7 g (0.106 mol) of trimethylsilyl-cyclopentadiene (obtained from Fluka) and 150 ml of tetrahydrofuran (THF) were introduced into a reaction flask and cooled to 0° C. 47.4 ml of a solution of butyl-lithium in n-hexane (2.3 molar; total amount 0.109 mol) were added dropwise in the course of 20 minutes. When the addition was complete, the yellow solution was stirred for a further hour; thereafter, the cooling bath was removed. The solution was stirred for a further hour at room temperature and then cooled to −20° C. 14.8 ml (0.117 mol) of trimethylsilyl chloride were then added dropwise in the course of 10 minutes and the reaction mixture was stirred at −10° C. for 2 hours. Thereafter, the cooling bath was removed and the reaction solution was warmed to room temperature and subsequently stirred for a further hour. The reaction mixture was filtered through Celite; the filter was washed with hexane and the hexane was removed from the combined filtrates in vacuo. On distillation at 26° C. under 0.4 mbar, the crude product gave 19 g of pure product of the compound 1 (85% of the theoretical yield). The boiling point and NMR data correspond to the literature data (J. Organometallic Chem. 29 (1971), 227; ibid. 30 (1971), C 57; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 102, (1980), 4429; J. Gen. Chem. USSR, English translation 43 (1973), 1970; J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 1980, 1156)

1H-NMR (400 MHz, C6D6): δ=6.74 (m, 2H), 6.43 (m, 2H), −0.04 (s, 18H).

Example 2(Trimethylsilyl-cyclopentadienyl-dichloroborane, compound 2)

16 g (0.076 mol) of the compound 1 were introduced into a round-bottomed flask equipped with a dry ice cooling bath. 8.9 g (0.076 mol) of BCl3 were condensed at −78° C. in a Schlenk tube and then added dropwise to the round-bottomed flask over a period of 5 minutes. The reaction mixture was warmed slowly to room temperature in the course of 1 hour and then kept at 55 to 60° C. for a further 2 hours. All the volatile compounds were removed in vacuo (3 mm Hg=4 mbar). Subsequent distillation at 39° C. under 0.012 mbar gave 14.1 g of the compound 2 (85% of the theoretical yield). The 1H-NMR agrees with the literature data and showed that a number of isomers had been prepared (cf. J.

11.4 g (0.052 mol) of the compound 2 and 100 ml of methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) were introduced into a 250 ml Schlenk tube. This solution was cooled to −78° C., and 9.8 g (5.6 ml, 0.052 mol) of titanium tetrachloride were added dropwise in the course of 10 minutes. The resulting red solution was warmed slowly to room temperature and stirred for a further 3 hours. The solvent was removed in vacuo and a dirty yellow product was obtained. 200 ml of hexane were added to the crude solid and the resulting yellow solution was filtered and cooled overnight in a refrigerator, 12.3 g (79% of the theoretical yield) of yellow crystals of the compound 3 being obtained. It should be pointed out that in J. Organometallic Chem. 169 (1979), 373, 62% of the theoretical yield was obtained, the reaction being carried out in a hydrocarbon solvent, such as petroleum ether or methylcyclohexane.

2.37 g (0.0079 mol) of the compound 3 were dissolved in 100 ml of hexane in a round-bottomed flask. This solution was cooled to 0° C. and 4 ml of a 2 molar solution of aluminum-trimethyl in toluene (0.008 mol) were added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed and all the volatile compounds were removed in vacuo. The yellow solid which remained was now dissolved in pentane, solid contents were filtered off and the clear filtrate was cooled to −78° C., 1.5 g (74% of the theoretical yield) of compound 4 being obtained. It should be noted that in J. Organometallic Chem. 169 (1979), 373 a yield of 87% of the theoretical yield is stated, tetramethyltin being used as the alkylating agent; however, it was not possible to obtain the compound 4 in a form free from the trimethyltin chloride formed.

50 g (0.186 mol) of cyclopentadienyl-thallium (obtained from Fluka) were introduced together with 300 ml of diethyl ether into a 500 ml flask. The suspension was cooled to 0° C. and 34.2 ml (0.186 mol) of diphenylchlorophosphine were added dropwise in the course of 10 minutes. The suspension was then warmed to room temperature and stirred for one hour, and finally filtered through a frit. The solvent was then stripped off in vacuo and left behind 39.5 g (85% of the theoretical yield) of the intermediate product diphenylphosphinocyclopentadiene, compound 5. A content of 18.6 g (0.074 mol) of the compound 5 was then diluted with toluene and cooled to 0° C. 33.2 ml of a 2.24 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.074 mol) were added to this solution in the course of 10 minutes. After warming to room temperature and after stirring for 2 hours, the yellow solution gave a precipitate, which was filtered off and washed with toluene and then with hexane. After drying in vacuo, 13.2 g of the compound 6 (70% of the theoretical yield) were obtained as a brownish powder (cf. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 105 (1983), 3882; Organometallics 1 (1982), 1591).

0.36 g (0.00139 mol) of the compound 6 and 20 ml of toluene were introduced into a round-bottomed flask. The solution formed was cooled to −20° C. and a solution of 0.36 g (0.00139 mol) of the compound 4 in 20 ml of toluene was added dropwise in the course of 20 minutes. When the dropwise addition had ended, the solution was heated to room temperature in the course of 2 hours and stirred at this temperature for an additional hour. Undissolved material was removed over a frit and the solvent was distilled off in vacuo. The red oily solid was then washed with hexane, which was decanted off, and the solid was dried again in vacuo. 0.28 g (42% of the theoretical yield) of the compound 7 was obtained as a red powder by this procedure.

10 g (0.086 mol) of indene were introduced into a round-bottomed flask, diluted with 200 ml of diethyl ether and cooled to −20° C. 36 ml of a 2.36 molar solution of butyl-lithium (0.085 mol) in n-hexane were added to this solution, the solution immediately assuming a yellow color. The cooling bath was removed and the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature and was stirred for a further hour. Thereafter, the reaction mixture was cooled again to 0° C. and 19 g (15.9 ml, 0.086 mol) of diphenylchlorophosphine were added, a precipitate being formed. The cooling bath was removed again and the solution was allowed to warm to room temperature while being subsequently stirred for a further hour.

The solution was then cooled again to −20° C. and 36 ml (0.085 mol) of butyl-lithium in n-hexane were added dropwise. When the addition had ended, the cooling bath was removed again and the temperature rose to room temperature; the solution was subsequently stirred for a further 1.5 hours. The suspension was then cooled again to 0° C. and 28 g (0.086 mol) of tributyltin chloride were added dropwise. The resulting suspension was warmed to room temperature and stirred for a further 1.5 hours and subsequently filtered through a frit, and the solvent was removed in vacuo. 46.9 g of the compound 8 (92% of the theoretical yield) remained as a heavy yellow oil.

A solution of 37 g (0.0628 mol) of the compound 8 in 300 ml of toluene was added to a suspension of 14.6 g of ZrCl4 (99.9% pure, 0.0628 mol, obtained from Aldrich) in 100 ml of toluene at room temperature in the course of 3 hours. The solution immediately became red and slowly changed into orange and finally into yellow. After subsequently stirring for 4 hours, the yellow precipitate was filtered off and washed with toluene and then with hexane. The solid was dried in vacuo and gave 15.3 g (50% of the theoretical yield) of the compound 9 as a free-flowing yellow powder. The yield could easily be increased to more than 70% by carrying out the reaction at a lower temperature, for example 30 minutes at −30° C. and 5 hours at 0° C. The product could be purified further by washing out residual tin compound using pentane in a Soxhlet extractor (extraction time: 8 hours).

4.43 g (0.0089 mol) of the purified compound 9 and 100 ml of toluene were introduced into a Schlenk tube. 1.95 g (0.0089 mol) of the compound 2 were added to this suspension. The yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 6 hours; during this period, a pale white precipitate formed. This precipitate (4.1 g, 75% of the theoretical yield) was isolated by filtration and found to be essentially pure material.

50 ml of toluene were added to 1.5 g (0.00247 mol) of compound 10 from Example 9. The suspension was cooled to 0° C. and 1.2 ml of a 2 molar solution of trimethylaluminum in hexane (0.0024 mol) were added dropwise in the course of 5 minutes. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed and the solution was allowed to warm up to room temperature and was further stirred for 2 hours. The remaining precipitate was filtered off and the solvent was stripped off from the filtrate in vacuo, 0.37 g (26% of the theoretical yield) of the compound 11 remaining as a brownish solid.

25 ml of indene (0.213 mol distilled over CaH2 in vacuo) were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 100 ml of THF and was cooled to 0° C. 94 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.216 mol) were added in the course of 20 minutes. When the addition was complete, the mixture was stirred for 20 minutes and then warmed to room temperature and stirred for a further 30 minutes. After cooling to −20° C., 27.5 ml (0.216 mol) of trimethyl-chlorosilane were added dropwise, a slightly cloudy orange-colored solution being formed. After stirring at −10° C. for 1 hour and at 0° C. for 1.5 hours, the solution was warmed to room temperature and the solvent was removed in vacuo. After dissolving again in hexane, LiCl was filtered off and the hexane was removed in vacuo. Distillation of the product (0.045 mbar, 58 to 60° C.) gave 26.6 g (66% of the theoretical yield) of 12.

25.4 g (0.135 mol) of the compound 12 were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 100 ml of THF and was cooled to 0° C. 59 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.136 mol) were added in the course of 20 minutes. When the addition was complete, the mixture was stirred for 20 minutes and then warmed to room temperature. After stirring for 30 minutes, it was cooled to −20° C. and 17.3 ml of tirmethylchlorosilane (0.136 mol) were added dropwise, a slightly cloudy orange-colored solution being formed. The solution was stirred at 0° C. for 1 hour and at room temperature for 1 hour and the solvent was then removed in vacuo. After redissolving in hexane, LiCl was filtered off and the hexane was removed in vacuo. 32 g (90% of the theoretical yield) of 13 were obtained as an oil. Cf. J. Organometal. Chem. 23 (1970), 407; hexane there instead of THF.

In a manner similar to the preparation of compound 2, 12.3 g (0.047 mol) of compound 13 were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which was cooled to −30° C. and had a reflux condenser cooled with dry ice. 5.6 g (0.046 mol) of BCl3 were added to this. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed and the reaction mixture warmed to room temperature and was stirred for 3 hours. The temperature was then raised to 55° C. for 6 hours. After cooling and removal of the volatile contents in vacuo, the crude product was obtained. Distillation under a high vacuum gave the purified product, the main isomer of which was identified as follows:

4.5 g of the compound 14 (0.017 mol) were added to a suspension of 8.3 g of compound 9 (0.017 mol) into 200 ml of toluene; the mixture was heated to 50° C. and stirred for 5 hours. After cooling and filtration, 200 ml of hexane were added, after which a precipitate precipitated out of the clear yellow solution and was filtered off and dried in vacuo. The product was identified as the mesoisomer of 15 according to its X-ray analysis. The P—B bond length of the bridge was determined as 2.01 Å. A second precipitate, which was determined as the racemic isomer of 15 was obtained by concentration of the toluene/hexane solution to about 10 ml and further addition of 200 ml of hexane.

9.0 g of N,N-dimethyl-O-hydroxylamine hydrochloride (0.092 mol) were suspended in 70 ml of CH2Cl2 which contained 20 g of triethylamine (0.2 mol), and the suspension was cooled to −10° C. 9.5 g of methylsulfonyl chloride (0.083 mol), dissolved in 70 ml of CH2Cl2, were slowly added dropwise to the cooled suspension. When the addition was complete, the mixture was subsequently stirred for 1 hour. Thereafter, ice-water was added to the reaction mixture and the organic phase was separated off. The water which remained was washed with ether. The wash ether and the CH2Cl2 fraction were combined and dried over NaSO4 and the solvents were removed in vacuo at −10° C. 5.9 g (46% of the theoretical yield) of compound 16 remained as an oil, which was stored at −20° C. Cf. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 17 (1978), 687.

1H-NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ=3.03 (s, 3H), 2.84 (s, 6H).

Example 16(N,N-Dimethylamino-cyclopentadienyl-lithium, compound 17)

A solution of 3 g of cyclopentadienyl-lithium (0.042 mol) in 30 ml of THF was slowly added to a solution of 5.9 g of the compound 16 (0.042 mol) in 20 ml of THF at −30° C. The mixture was then warmed to −20° C. and stirred for 30 minutes. Hexane was then added and the solution was filtered. Thereafter, 1.8 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium (0.042 mol) in hexane were added at −20° C., whereupon a precipitate formed. The precipitate was filtered off and washed twice with 20 ml of hexane each time. After drying in vacuo, 2.0 g (40% of the theoretical yield) of the compound 17 were obtained as a white powder. Cf. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 19 (1980), 1010.

subsequently stirred for 1.5 hours. Thereafter, the reaction mixture was cooled to 0° C. and 5.0 g of chlorodiisopropylphosphine (0.033 mol) were added, whereupon a precipitate formed. After removal of the cooling bath, the solution was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour. Thereafter, the solution was cooled to −20° C. and 14.4 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.033 mol) were added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed and the solution was warmed slowly to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1.5 hours. After the suspension had been cooled to 0° C., 10.1 g of chlorotributyltin (0.031 mol) were added dropwise. The suspension formed was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1.5 hours. The ether was removed in vacuo and the crude product was dissolved again in hexane, the solution was filtered and the filtrate was dried in vacuo, 16.6 g of the compound 19 (yield: 97%) remaining as a heavy yellow oil. Two isomers were obtained in a ratio of 1.5:1. The main isomer was identified as follows:

A solution of 15.0 g of the compound 19 (0.029 mol) in 50 ml of toluene was added dropwise to a suspension of 6.7 g (0.029 mol) of 99.9% pure ZrCl4 in 300 ml of toluene at −78° C. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was stirred at −30° C. for 0.5 hour and then at 0° C. for 4 hours. The yellow precipitate which formed was filtered off and washed with toluene and hexane. The solids were dried in vacuo, 8.8 g of the compound 20 (yield: 71%) remaining

A solution of 0.18 g of the compound 4 (0.7 mmol) in 10 ml of toluene was added to a suspension of 0.081 g of the compound 17 (0.7 mmol) in 10 ml of toluene at −20° C. in the course of 10 minutes, a deep red solution being formed. After warming at room temperature for 2 hours, the solution was filtered and the solvent was removed in vacuo. After the red powder formed had been redissolved in 10 ml of warm toluene and insoluble material had been filtered off, the solution was stored overnight in a refrigerator, 0.1 g (43% of the theoretical yield) being formed as red needles.

100 ml of ether were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 3.8 g (0.033 mol) of indene; the mixture was cooled to −20° C. 14.4 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.033 mol) were added to this solution in the course of 5 minutes, a yellow solution being formed. After removal of the cooling bath, the solution was warmed to room temperature and as a free-flowing yellow powder. The powder was further purified by removal of the remaining tin compounds by means of extraction with toluene fed under reflux over a period of 3 hours under 30 mm Hg and then with pentane over a period of 2 hours in a Soxhlet extractor. Because of the insolubility of the compound formed, no 1H-NMR was obtained.

0.52 g (0.0012 mol) of the compound 20 and 30 ml of toluene were introduced into a Schlenk tube. 0.27 g (0.0012 mol) of the compound 2 were added to this suspension in the course of 5 minutes. The yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours, a slightly cloudy solution remaining. The precipitate was removed by filtration, a pale yellow toluene solution remaining. After removal of the toluene in vacuo, the product remained as a whitish solid in an amount of 0.47 g (yield: 87%).

150 ml of ether were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 5.5 g (0.047 mol) of indene; the mixture was cooled to −20° C. 20.8 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.048 mol) were added to this solution in the course of 5 minutes, a yellow solution being formed. After removal of the cooling bath, the solution was warmed to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1 hour. After the reaction mixture had been cooled to −30° C., 4.6 g of chlorodimethylphosphine (0.048 mol) in 30 ml of ether were added in the course of 20 minutes, a precipitate forming. After stirring at −20° C. for 2 hours, 20.8 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.048 mol) were added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed and the solution was warmed slowly to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1.5 hours. After the suspension had been cooled to 0° C., 15.6 g of chlorotributyltin (0.048 mol) were added dropwise. The suspension formed was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1.5 hours. The ether was removed in vacuo and the crude product was dissolved again in hexane, the solution was filtered and the filtrate was dried in vacuo, 17.4 g of the compound 22 (yield: 78%) remaining as a heavy yellow oil.

A solution of 17.0 g of the compound 22 (0.037 mol) in 50 ml of toluene was added to a suspension of 8.5 g (0.036 mol) of 99.9% pure ZrCl4 in 200 ml of toluene at −78° C. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was stirred at −30° C. for 0.5 hour and then at 0° C. for 4 hours. The yellow precipitate formed was filtered off and washed with toluene and hexane. The solids were dried in vacuo, 8.3 g of the compound 23 (yield: 61%) remaining as a free-flowing yellow powder. The powder was further purified by removal of the remaining tin compounds by means of extraction with toluene fed under reflux over a period of 3 hours under 30 mm Hg and then with pentane over a period of 2 hours in a Soxhlet extractor, 7.2 g (yield: 53%) of the product remaining. Because of the insolubility of this compound, no 1H-NMR was obtained.

30 ml of toluene and 0.55 g of the compound 23 (0.0015 mol) were introduced into a Schlenk tube. 0.31 g (0.0014 mol) of the compound 2 were added to this suspension in the course of 5 minutes. The yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 6.5 hours, a slightly cloudy solution remaining. The precipitate was removed by filtration, a pale yellow toluene solution remaining. After removal of the toluene in vacuo, the product remained as a whitish solid. After the product had been washed with hexane and dried in vacuo, the compound 24 remained as a pale white solid (0.54 g; yield: 76%).

38.7 g (0.29 mol) of 2-indanone and 300 ml of ether were introduced into a round-bottomed flask. 96.7 ml of a 3.0 molar solution of CH3MgI in ether (0.29 mol), which was diluted with 150 ml of ether, were introduced into a second flask. Thereafter, the 2-indanone solution was added to the CH3MgI solution via a cannula in an amount such that the reflux was maintained, a precipitate being formed. When the addition was complete, the suspension was kept under reflux for a further 4 hours and cooled to 0° C., after which 100 ml of a saturated solution of NH4Cl were slowly added. The product was extracted with ether and dried over MgSO4. After removal of the solvent in vacuo, 30.1 g (yield: 70%) of 2-methyl-2-indanol (compound 25) were obtained as an oily solid.

25.5 g (0.17 mol) of the compound 25, 3.2 g (0.017 mol) of p-toluenesulfonic acid and 500 ml of hexane were introduced into a round-bottomed flask with a Dean-Stark collecting vessel. This suspension was kept under reflux for 3 hours. After cooling, the hexane fraction was decanted from the insoluble products and the solvent was removed in vacuo, an oil remaining, which was then distilled in a short distillation column at 45° C. under 0.03 mbar, whereupon 15 g (yield: 68%) of the compound 26 were obtained.

150 ml of ether were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 5.08 g (0.039 mol) of 2-methylindene 26; the mixture was cooled to −20° C. 17.0 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.039 mol) were added to this solution in the course of 5 minutes, a yellow solution being formed. After removal of the cooling bath, the solution was warmed to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1 hour. Thereafter, the reaction mixture was cooled to −20° C. and 5.8 g (0.039 mol) of chlorodiisopropylphosphine were added in the course of 5 minutes, a precipitate being formed. Thereafter, the cooling bath was removed and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. After cooling to −20° C., 17.0 ml of a 2.3 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.039 mol) were added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed and the solution was warmed slowly to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1.5 hours. After the suspension had been cooled to 0° C., 12.4 g (0.038 mol) of chlorodibutyltin were added dropwise. The suspension formed was heated to room temperature and stirred for 1.5 hours. The ether was removed in vacuo and the crude product was dissolved again in hexane, the solution was filtered and the filtrate was dried in vacuo, 20.4 g (yield: 98%) of the compound 27 remaining as a heavy yellow oil. Two isomers were identified by

31P-NMR. 31P-NMR (161.9 MHz, CD2Cl2) δ−5.9 and −6.6 in a ratio of 2:1.

A solution of 17.7 g (0.033 mol) of the compound 27 in 100 ml of methylene chloride was added to a suspension of 7.7 g (0.033 mol) of 99.9% pure ZrCl4 in 200 ml of methylene chloride at −25° C. in the course of 10 minutes. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was warmed slowly to 10° C. over a period of 3 hours, after which a clear, orange-colored solution was formed. After 1 hour at room temperature, the solvent was removed in vacuo and the oil formed was washed with 2×50 ml of hexane, whereupon an oily crude product (28) was obtained, this being used directly for the preparation of the compound 29. Because of the insolubility of the compound, no 1H-NMR was obtained.

5.5 g (0.025 mol) of the compound 2 were introduced into a round-bottomed flask, which contained 0.025 mol of the impure compound 28 in 200 ml of toluene at 0° C., over a period of 5 minutes. After 1 hour at 0° C., the stirring was ended and the soluble toluene fraction was decanted from the oil formed. After removal of the toluene in vacuo, 100 ml of hexane were added to the oily solid, 7.4 g (yield: 54%) of a yellow powder being formed with a purity of about 90%. The product was further purified in a Soxhlet extraction apparatus with pentane fed under reflux. The end product comprised a pale yellow powder.

76.6 ml of a 2.5 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.19 mol) were added to a solution of the compound 1 (40.2 g; 0.19 mol) in 500 ml of ether at 0° C. in the course of 10 minutes. When the addition was complete, the bath was removed and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. After cooling to 0° C., 42.2 g (0.19 mol) of chlorodiphenylphosphine were added in the course of 10 minutes, after which the bath was removed and the suspension was warmed to room temperature. After stirring at room temperature for 1 hour, the ether was removed in vacuo and the product was dissolved again in hexane. After the salts had been filtered off, the hexane was removed in vacuo, 69.1 g (yield: 91%) of the compound 30 remaining as an oil.

A solution of the compound 30 (69.1 g, 0.175 mol) in 200 ml of methylene chloride was added to a suspension of 41.5 g (0.178 mol) of 99.9% pure ZrCl4 in 200 ml of methylene chloride via a cannula and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 8 hours. During this period, the solution became cloudy. The solids were filtered off, washed with 2×20 ml of toluene and then 2×20 ml of hexane and dried in vacuo. The product comprised 35 g (yield: 39%) of a pale yellow powder. Because of the insolubility of the product, no 1H-NMR was obtained.

A solution of the compound 2 (2.6 g, 0.012 mol) was added to a suspension of the compound 31 (5.6 g, 0.011 mol) in 100 ml of toluene at 0° C. After the mixture had been stirred at 0° C. for 5 hours, the yellow-brown solid was removed by filtration, a whitish solution remaining. After removal of the toluene in vacuo and washing of the solid which remained with pentane, the compound 32 remained as a highly air-sensitive whitish powder (5.5 g; yield: 81%).

50 ml of ether were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 1.68 g (0.023 mol) of cyclopentadienyl-lithium. After the reaction flask had been cooled to −20° C., 3.6 g (0.023 mol) of chlorodiisopropylphosphine were added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was warmed to 0° C. and the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour. Thereafter, the ether was removed in vacuo, the product was dissolved in toluene and the solution was filtered. After the frit had been rinsed through with 2×10 ml of toluene, the reaction mixture was cooled to −20° C. and 9.3 ml of a 2.5 molar solution of butyllithium in hexane (0.023 mol) were added, an orange-colored solution being formed. A small fraction was taken for NMR analyses and, after removal of the toluene in vacuo and washing of the oil formed with hexane, a pale yellow solid (33) was obtained.

A solution of 6.1 g (0.023 mol) of the compound 4 in 50 ml of toluene was added to a toluene solution of the compound 33 (0.023 mol) from the abovementioned reaction at −78° C. After the mixture had been stirred at −78° C. for 30 minutes, the cooling bath was removed and the solution was subsequently stirred at room temperature for 2 hours. Thereafter, the solids were removed by filtration and the toluene was removed in vacuo. Hexane was then added to the red oily product, a red powder being formed, which was filtered off, washed with 2×20 ml of hexane and dried in vacuo, whereupon the compound 34 was formed as a red powder (5.95 g, yield, based on CpLi: 61%).

100 ml of ether were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 6.76 g (0.052 mol) of 2-methylindene (compound 26); the mixture was cooled to −20° C. 21 ml of a 2.5 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.052 mol) were added to this solution in the course of 5 minutes, a yellow solution being formed. After removal of the cooling bath, the solution was warmed to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1 hour. After the reaction mixture had been cooled to −20° C., 5.0 g (0.052 mol) of chlorodimethylphosphine were added in the course of 5 minutes, a precipitate being formed. The cooling bath was then removed and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. After cooling to −20° C., 21.0 ml of a 2.5 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.052 mol) were added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed, after which the solution was warmed slowly to room temperature and stirred for 1.5 hours. After the suspension had been cooled to 0° C., 16.9 g (0.052 mol) of chlorotributyltin were added dropwise. The suspension formed was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1.5 hours. After removal of the ether in vacuo, the crude product was dissolved again in hexane, the solution was filtered and the filtrate was dried in vacuo, 24.3 g (yield: 98%) of the compound 35 remaining as a heavy yellow oil. 31P-NMR (161.9 MHz, CD2Cl2) δ−68.5 (s).

A solution of 17.4 g (0.036 mol) of the compound 35 in 100 ml of toluene was added to a suspension of 8.5 g (0.036 mol) of 99.9% pure ZrCl4 in 100 ml of toluene at 0° C. in the course of 10 minutes. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was warmed slowly to 10° C. over a period of 1 hour and then stirred at room temperature for 6 hours. The yellow precipitate was subsequently filtered off, washed with 2×20 ml of toluene and 2×20 ml of hexane and dried in vacuo. The powder was further purified by removal of the remaining tin compounds by means of extraction with toluene fed under reflux over a period of 3 hours under 30 mm Hg and then with pentane over a period of 2 hours in a Soxhlet extractor, 5.8 g (yield: 41%) of the compound 36 remaining as a luminous yellow powder. Because of the insolubility of this compound, no 1H-NMR was obtained.

2.7 g (0.012 mol) of the compound 2 were introduced into a round-bottomed flask, which contained 4.8 g (0.012 mol) of the compound 36 in 125 ml of toluene at room temperature, in the course of 5 minutes. After the mixture had been stirred for 7 hours, the dark yellow solid was filtered off, washed with 2×20 ml of hexane and dried in vacuo, 5.5 g (yield: 89%) of the compound 37 being obtained as a pale yellow solid.

40 ml of a 1 molar solution of chlorodicyclohexylborane in hexane (0.04 mol) were added to 20 ml of cyclopentadienyl-sodium (2 M in THF; 0.04 mol) in 100 ml of hexane at −78° C. After removal of the cooling bath, the reaction mixture was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour. After filtration and removal of the solvent in vacuo, 9.1 g (yield: 94%) of the compound 38 remained as a yellow oil, which was used directly in the synthesis of the compound 39.

5.3 g (0.038 mol) of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 40 ml of THF. After cooling to −20° C. and addition of 15 ml of a 2.5 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.038 mol), the mixture was stirred at −20° C. for 1 hour and then cooled to −78° C. 9.1 g (0.038 mol) of the compound 38 in 20 ml of hexane was added to this solution in the course of 10 minutes. The cooling bath was removed and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. After removal of the solvent in vacuo and addition of hexane, the mixture was subsequently stirred for 2 hours, a white suspension being formed, which was filtered, and the product was dried in vacuo. 4.6 g (yield: 50%) of the compound 39 were formed as a white powder.

After cooling a Schlenk flask which contained 1.4 g (0.0056 mol) of the compound 39 and 2.9 g (0.0056 mol) of the compound 31 to −20° C., 100 ml of toluene were added. After removal of the bath, the suspension was stirred at room temperature for 6 hours and then filtered. The solvent was removed in vacuo, an oily solid remaining, which was washed with hexane and filtered. After the solid had been dried in vacuo, 1.9 g (yield: 48%) of the compound 40 remained as a pink-colored solid.

A 30% strength solution of 153 g (2.8 mol) of sodium methoxide in methanol was diluted with 60 ml of methanol and cooled to 0° C. 34 g (0.52 mol) of cyclopentadiene were added to this solution. After 15 minutes, 39 g (0.34 mol) of 2,5-hexanedione were added dropwise, after which the cooling bath was removed and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours. 200 ml of water and 200 ml of ether were then added. The ether layer was removed, washed with water and sodium chloride solution and then dried over Na2SO4. After removal of the solvent in vacuo and distillation at 65° C. under 0.1 mbar, the compound 41 remained as an orange-colored oil (40 g; yield: 81%).

100 ml of ether were introduced into a round-bottomed flask which contained 5.0 g (0.035 mol) of 4,7-dimethylindene (compound 41); the mixture was cooled to −20° C. 14 ml of a 2.5 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.035 mol) were added to this solution in the course of 5 minutes, a yellow solution being formed. After removal of the cooling bath, the solution was warmed to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1 hour. After the reaction mixture had been cooled to −20° C., 5.3 g (0.035 mol) of chlorodiisopropylphosphine were added in the course of 5 minutes, a precipitate being formed. Thereafter, the cooling bath was removed and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. After cooling to −20° C., 14.0 ml of a 2.5 molar solution of butyl-lithium in hexane (0.035 mol) were added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the cooling bath was removed and the solution was warmed slowly to room temperature and stirred for 1.5 hours. After the suspension had been cooled to 0° C., 11.4 g of chlorotributyltin (0.035 mol) were added dropwise. The suspension formed was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1.5 hours. The ether was removed in vacuo and the crude product was dissolved again in hexane, the solution was filtered and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo, 16 g (yield: 83%) of the compound 42 remaining as a heavy yellow oil.

A solution of 16.0 g (0.029 mol) of the compound 42 in CH2Cl2 (100 ml) was added to a suspension of 6.4 g (0.029 mol) of 99.9% pure ZrCl4 in 100 ml of CH2Cl2 at −20° C. in the course of 10 minutes. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was warmed slowly to room temperature over a period of 2 hours and then stirred at room temperature for a further two hours. Thereafter, the solids were removed by filtration and the solvent was removed in vacuo, the crude compound 43 remaining as an oil which was used directly for the preparation of the compound 44.

5.0 g (0.023 mol) of the compound 2 were introduced into a round-bottomed flask, which contained 10.6 g (0.023 mol) of the compound 43 in 125 ml of toluene at 0° C., in the course of 5 minutes. After the mixture had been stirred at 0° C. for 1.5 hours, the cooling bath was removed and the suspension was stirred at room temperature for a further 3 hours. Thereafter, the toluene-soluble fraction was decanted from the heavy oil which had formed during the reaction, and was concentrated to dryness in vacuo, a heavy oil remaining. After addition of 100 ml of hexane to this oil, the mixture was subsequently stirred and a dark yellow powder was filtered off and was dried in vacuo. After this process, 6.3 g (yield: 48%) of the compound 44 remained as a dark yellow powder. The product can be further purified by precipitation of a CH2Cl2 solution of the compound 44 in a hydrocarbon solvent.

59 ml of a solution of butyl-lithium (2.5 molar in hexane, 0.148 mol) were added slowly to a solution of 9.9 g of pyrrole (0.148 mol) in 200 ml of hexane at −20° C., a white solid being formed. The mixture was subsequently stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and the solid was isolated by filtration, washed twice with 20 ml of hexane each time and dried in vacuo. This process gave 6 g of the compound 45 (56% of the theoretical yield).

A solution of 1.34 g (0.005 mol) of the compound 4 in 20 ml of toluene was added to 0.38 g (0.005 mol) of the compound 45 at −78° C. in the course of 5 minutes. The cooling bath was then removed and stirring was continued at room temperature for 2 hours. Thereafter, the red solid which had formed was filtered off; the yellow filtrate was discarded. The red solid was washed with toluene and dried in vacuo. 1.14 g with a small content of LiCl were obtained.

In accordance with Organometallics 7 (1988), 921, a solution of 11.7 g (0.216 mol) of 2-butine in 150 ml of CH2Cl2 was slowly added to 15.3 g (0.115 mol) of AlCl3 in CH2Cl2 (0° C.; 30 minutes). The mixture was subsequently stirred at 0° C. for 45 minutes, the cooling bath was then removed and the mixture was subsequently stirred for a further hour. Thereafter, the solution was cooled to −50° C. and a solution of 21.4 g (0.12 mol) of phenyl-dichlorophosphine in CH2Cl2 was added in the course of 20 minutes. The cooling bath was then removed and the dark red solution was subsequently stirred for one hour and then added to a solution of 27 g (0.13 mol) of tributylphosphine in 100 ml of CH2Cl2 at −30° C. The red color disappeared immediately; a yellow solution remained. When the addition had ended, the solvent was removed in vacuo; a thick yellow oil remained. The oil was taken up in hexane and washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 solution and H2O under an Ar atmosphere. After drying over MgSO4, the hexane was removed in vacuo. 18.2 g remained as a clear oil (yield 78%).

In accordance with Organometallics 7 (1988), 921, 0.52 g (0.074 mol) of lithium was added to a solution of 7 g (0.032 mol) of the compound 47 in 150 ml of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and the mixture was stirred overnight. The resulting red solution was filtered through a frit to remove residual solids and the filtrate was cooled to 0° C. Thereafter, a solution of 1.45 g (0.01 mol) of AlCl3 in 20 ml of THF was added dropwise and the solution was brought to room temperature. An aliquot amount was removed for analysis and the remaining solution was used directly for the preparation of the compound 49. 31P-NMR (161.9 MHz, THF) δ: 63.7 ppm.

The THF solution from Example 45 with 1.46 g (0.01 mol) of the compound 48 was introduced into a round-bottomed flask; the THF was removed in vacuo. After addition of toluene and cooling to −78° C., a solution of 2.6 g (0.01 mol) of the compound 44 in 20 ml of toluene was slowly added, while stirring, a red suspension being formed. When the addition had ended, the suspension was brought to room temperature and subsequently stirred for 1 hour. After solid which had remained undissolved was filtered off, the toluene was removed in vacuo; hexane was added to the oily solid which remained. The solid which remained undissolved was also filtered off from the hexane solution and the solution was stored overnight at −20° C. After the hexane had been decanted off, 0.5 g of a green solid which was identified as compound 49 (yield 14%) was obtained.

50 ml of dry oxygen-free toluene were sucked into a dry, oxygen-free, stirred V4A steel autoclave which had been heated thoroughly at 100° C. in vacuo. The D/A-metallocene catalyst (compound 10) was preformed in toluene at room temperature with MAO (methylatuminoxane, 10% strength in toluene, molecular weight 900 g/mol) in an atomic (molar) ratio of Al/Zr=50,000:1 in the course of 15 minutes. An aliquot which comprised 4×10−7 mol of Zr and 2×10−2 mol of Al in 14.7 ml was injected into the autoclave under strict exclusion of air and the autoclave was subsequently flushed with a further 50 ml of toluene. 4.3 g of propylene were then forced in and the autoclave pressure was adjusted to a constant 10 bar with ethylene, and polymerization was carried out for 1 hour at 25° C., while stirring. After the autoclave had been let down, the highly viscous reaction mixture was stirred into a mixture of 500 ml of ethanol and 50 ml of concentrated aqueous hydrochloric acid (37% strength). The suspension of the white polymer which had precipitated out during this operation was stirred for a further 14 hours and the solid was then isolated by filtration, washed thoroughly with ethanol and dried to constant weight at 100° C. The EPM yield was 3.4 g, which corresponds to a catalyst activity of 8.5 tonnes of copolymer per mole of zirconium and hour. A propylene content of 40% by weight was determined by IR spectroscopy. The limiting viscosity η, measured in o-dichlorobenzene at 140° C. was 1.81 dl/g. The DSC measurement gave a glass transition temperature Tg=−38° C. and a solidification temperature of −54° C.

Example 48(Ethylene/propylene copolymerization)

In another copolymerization experiment, the procedure was as in the above Example 47.However, the polymerization temperature was 70° C. The amount of D/A-zirconocene (compound 10) was 4×10−7 mol at an amount of Al of 1×10−2 mol. The Al/Zr atomic (molar) ratio was 25,000:1. The polymer yield was 5.8 g, corresponding to a catalyst activity of 14.5 tonnes per mole of zirconium and hour. The limiting viscosity η, measured in o-dichlorobenzene at 140° C., was 1.10 dl/g. According to DSC measurement, the EP rubber had a solidification temperature of −64° C. and a glass temperature Tg=−60° C.

Example 49(Ethylene/propylene copolymerization)

10 g of propene were condensed into a dry, oxygen-free, stirred V4A steel autoclave which had been heated thoroughly at 100° C. in vacuo, 100 ml of dry toluene were introduced, the autoclave was heated to 60° C., the pressure reached (5.5 bar) was increased by 2 bar (to 7.5 bar) with ethene and the catalyst was added by means of a pressure sluice. The D/A metallocene catalyst (compound 46) had been preformed beforehand in toluene at room temperature with MAO (methylaluminoxane, 10% strength in toluene, molecular weight 900 g/mol) in an atomic (molar) ratio of Al/Ti=5,000:1 in the course of 15 minutes. The amount of catalyst employed comprised 1×10−6 mol of Ti and 5×10−3 mol of Al. Polymerization was carried out at 60 to 65° C. (exothermic) for 30 minutes, while stirring. After the autoclave had been let down, the highly viscous reaction mixture was stirred into a mixture of 500 ml of ethanol and 50 ml of concentrated aqueous hydrochloric acid (37% strength). The suspension of the white polymer which had precipitated out during this operation was stirred for a further 17 hours and the solid was then isolated by filtration, washed thoroughly with ethanol and dried to constant weight at 100° C. The EPM yield was 0.5 g, which corresponds to a catalyst activity of 1 tonne of copolymer per mole of titanium and hour. A propylene content of 25% by weight was determined by IR spectroscopy. The limiting viscosity η, measured in o-dichlorobenzene at 140° C., was 1.02 dl/g. The DSC measurement gave a glass transition temperature Tg=−44° C. and a solidification temperature of −53° C. The GPC measurement gave a weight-average Mw of 119 kg/mol, Mw/Mn=2.62.

0.011 mol of trimethylsilyl-dichloroboranyl-indene were added to a suspension of 0.012 mol of diphenylphosphino-indenyl-zirconium trichloride in 150 ml of toluene at room temperature. The reaction mixture was then stirred at 75° C. for 1 hour After cooling and filtration, 150 ml of hexane were added to the clear orange-colored solution, after which a heavy red oil and a pale yellow precipitate were formed; the precipitate was filtered off, washed with hexane and dried in vacuo. The pale yellow solid was identified as the pure meso compound by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The filtrate with the red oil was concentrated to 30 ml and added dropwise to 200 ml of hexane, after which a second pale yellow precipitate formed, which was filtered off and dried in vacuo. This product was identified as the pure rac isomer with the aid of X-ray structure analysis. Crystals suitable for the purpose were cultured by slow diffusion of hexane into a saturated CH2Cl2 solution at the ambient temperature. The donor-acceptor bond P♯B has a length of 2.02 Å. The yield was 40% and the meso/rac ratio was 1:1. If the reaction mixture was stirred for 5 hours (instead of 1 hour), at 75° C., an increased amount of the desired rac isomer was obtained; the meso/rac ratio was 1:4. At the same time, the overall yield raised slightly from 40% to 45%.

0.016 mol of trimethylsilyl-dichloroboranyl-indene in 50 ml of toluene was added to a suspension of 0.0157 mol of dialkylphosphinoindenyl-zirconium trichloride in 250 ml of toluene at room temperature. The reaction mixture was then heated for a few hours, while stirring. After cooling and filtration, 300 ml of hexane were added to the clear orange-colored solution, after which a heavy red oil and a clear yellow solution were formed. Separation of the meso and rac isomers was achieved by fractional distillation from toluene/hexane solutions. Characterization of the compounds (NMR spectra in CD2Cl2 at RT; 1H-NMR: 400 MHz, 31P-NMR: 161.9 MHz, 11B-NMR: 80.2 MHz):

500 ml of hexane and 70 ml of butyllithium (as a 2.5 molar solution in hexane) were introduced into a 1000 ml flask. 0.175 mol of 2-methylindene was added dropwise at the ambient temperature; the mixture was stirred for a further 10 hours. 0.18 mol of trimethylsilyl chloride was then added dropwise at room temperature; the mixture was stirred for a further 10 hours. LiCl was filtered off and 70 ml of butyllithium (as a 2.5 molar solution in hexane) were added to the clear filtrate. After further stirring for 10 hours, 0.18 mol of trimethylsilyl chloride was again added and the mixture was stirred for a further 10 hours. LiCl was filtered off and the solvent was removed in vacuo. Compound 54 remained as a colorless oil. Yield: 85% of the theoretical yield.

0.096 mol of the compound 54 was introduced into a 250 ml flask equipped with a dry ice condenser (−30° C.). 0.096 mol of BCl3 was then added at −30° C. and the mixture was stirred at the ambient temperature for 3 hours and at 55° C. for 6 hours. The by-product (CH3)3 SiCl was removed; a brown oil remained as the crude product. Distillation from cold trap to cold trap gave the compound 55 in a yield of 75% as a tacky solid.

The procedure was analogous to Example 8, but instead of toluene, CH2Cl2 was used as the solvent. The reaction temperature was 25° C. The purification was carried out by Soxhlet extraction with CH2Cl2. Compound 57 was obtained as an insoluble yellow solid in 78% of the theoretical yield.

0.019 mol of compound 55 in 50 ml of toluene was added to a suspension of 0.019 mol of compound 57 in 350 ml of toluene at room temperature. The reaction mixture was then heated to 80° C. and stirred for 24 hours. After cooling and filtration, 300 ml of hexane were added to the clear, orange-colored solution, after which a heavy orange-colored oil and a clear yellow solution were formed. Concentration and cooling to −25° C. gave the compound 58 as a pale yellow powder.

About 1 mol of propene was initially introduced into a dry, oxygen-free 300 ml V4A steel autoclave and polymerization in bulk was started at 20° C. by addition of the catalyst by means of a pressure sluice. The catalyst used was 1×10−6 mol of [(Me3 Si-cp)Ph2 PBCl2 (Cp)ZrCl2 ] and 1×10−2 mol of MAO in 9 ml of toluene.

The internal temperature rose from 20° to 24° C. After 1 hour, 3.2 g of a rubber-like polypropylene could be isolated by working up with ethanol/hydrochloric acid and drying.

Catalyst activity: 3.2 tonnes per mol-h

DSC: amorphous PP, Tg=−4° C.

GPC (polystyrene calibration): Mw=143 kg/mol

Mn=28 kg/mol

Limiting viscosity (o-Cl2-benzene, 140° C.) η=0.66 dl/g

NMR (triad analysis) 37% isotactic

42% atactic

21% syndiotactic

Example 60(Ethene/propene copolymerization)

100 ml of dry toluene which had been distilled under inert gas and 10 g of propene were initially introduced into a dry oxygen-free 300 ml V4A steel autoclave. The catalyst was added at 20° C. under pressure by means of a pressure sluice and the internal pressure was immediately increased from 2.5 bar to 6.5 bar with ethene. The internal temperature rose to 28° C. The catalyst used was a mixture, which had been preformed at room temperature in the course of about 10 minutes, of 5×10−7 mol of [(Me3Si-cp)Ph2PBCl2(cp)ZrCl2] and 5×10−3 mol of methylaluminoxane (MAO) in 4.1 ml of toluene.

The polymerization was interrupted after 30 minutes.

Polymer yield: 5.2 g

Catalyst activity: 20.8 tonnes of EP rubber per mole of catalyst and hour

Limiting viscosity in ortho-dichlorobenzene at 140° C.: [η]=1.51 dl/g

GPC in ortho-dichlorobenzene at 140° C.: Mw=309 kg/mol, Mn=106 kg/mol

IR: 46% by weight of propene, 54% by weight of ethene

DSC: Amorphous copolymer with Tg=−55° C.

Example 61(Ethene/propene/ethylidenenorbornene terpolymerization)

The procedure was as in Example 60, but 5×10−7 mol of rac-[(ind)Et2PBCl2(ind)ZrCl2] activated with 5×10−3 mol of MAO were used as the catalyst. The internal pressure was increased by 2 bar with ethene. The polymerization took place in the presence of 1 g of ethylidene-norbornene (ENB). The terpolymer formed (1.5 g) comprised 63% by weight of ethene, 35% by weight of propene and 2% by weight of ENB. The limiting viscosity in ortho-dichlorobenzene at 140° C. was 1.86 dl/g. The GPC measurement in o-Cl2-benzene at 140° C. gave Mw=460 kg/mol, Mn=203 kg/mol. The DSC measurement in the second heating up showed an amorphous polymer with a glass transition Tg=−50° C.

Example 62(Ethene/propene/ENB terpolymerization)

The procedure was as in the above Example, but the amount of MAO was only 1×10−3 mol and the polymerization temperature was 40 to 45° C. The catalyst activity was 4.4 tonnes of EPDM per mole of catalyst and hour. The limiting viscosity (o-Cl2-benzene, 140° C.) was 1.34 dl/g. The glass stage was at Tg=−52° C.

Example 63(Ethene/propene/ENB terpolymerization)

The procedure was as in the preceding Example, but the polymerization was carried out at 40 to 46° C. in the presence of 2 g of ENB and with 5×10−3 mol of MAO. The catalyst activity was 11.2 tonnes of EPDM rubber per mole of catalyst and hour. The η value (o-Cl2-benzene, 140° C.)=1.50 dl/g. Mw=302 kg/mol, Mn=112 kg/mol.

The copolymer composition was: 69% by weight of ethene, 28% by weight of propene, 3% by weight of ENB. The glass stage was at Tg=−42° C.

Example 64(Ethene/propene copolymerization)

100 ml of dry toluene which had been distilled under inert gas and contained 0.5 mmol of triisobutylaluminum (TIBA) and 10 g of propene were initially introduced into a dry, oxygen-free 300 ml V4A steel autoclave and the pressure was adjusted to a constant 4 bar with ethene. 5×10−7 mol of rac-[(2-Me-ind)Et2PBCl2(2-me-ind)ZrCl2], which had been preformed with 5×10−5 mol of TIBA at room temperature in the course of 30 minutes, and 2×10−6 mol of dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate in toluene/chlorobenzene (2.7 ml/2.3 ml) were added at 20° C. by means of a pressure sluice. After 30 minutes, the product was precipitated out with ethanol/hydrochloric acid, washed with ethanol and dried. 4.2 g of high molecular weight amorphous EP rubber were isolated. Catalyst activity: 18.6 tonnes of rubber per mole of catalyst and hour.